Automatic phonograph



May 16, 1939. J. R. MITCHELL AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 24, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 16, 1939.- J. R. MITCHELL AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 24, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 m w w i .Q

May16,1939- J. MITCHELL 2,158,295

' AuToMA'rIc Fnonoeaua Filed Aug. 24, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fl'c forrdy May 16, 1939. J. R. MITCHELL I AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 24, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet I I Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC 101m R. Mitchell, Dallas, Tex.

PHONOGRAPH or, by meme n 1\ assignments, to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Com-- l lny, Cincinnati, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Y Application August 24, 1938, Serial No. 97,497

8 Claims. This'invention relates to improvements in automatic phonographs.

One of its objects is theprovision of a phonograph which is designed to continuously play a plurality of records in succession without the necessity for manual attentio and which is provided with simple, compact andquick-acting means for effecting the automatic playing and changing of the respective records.'

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for 'eifecting the discharge of a played record from the stack.

Other objects of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a phonograph embodying my invention. end view thereof. Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same. Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectiontaken substantially in the plane of line L-l, Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the record-shifting or discharge arm and associated parts. Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal. section taken substantially in the plane of line 66, Figure 1. Figure 'I is an enlarged vertical sectiontaken substantially in the plane of.1ine |i, Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the'several views.

Referring now to the drawings, ll indicates a supporting platform upon which the working parts of the phonograph are mounted and housed within a suitable cabinet not shown. The turntable II is mounted on a revolving hollow stem or shaft I2 and is driven from an electric motor l3 through the medium of a worm II and worm wheel IS. The tone arm [6 is capable of swinging horizontally toward and from the axis of the turntable as well as vertically to bring its needle I! clear of the record when returning from the end of its play position to starting position. For this purpose it is fulcrumed on an upright post or rock shaft l3 journaled in an up-,

right bearing l9 applied to,the platform l3. Attached to the upper end of this post to swing therewith is a bracket plate 23 to which the tone arm is pivoted, as indicated, at 2|, to swing vertically a counterweight 22 being preferably provided on rearward extensions 23 of the tone arm to counterbalance its weight. The sound box 24 of the tone arm is pivoted at 25 to the outer or free end thereof and in order to maintain the needle" at substantially the same rela- Figure 2 is a front tive position to a record while playing the records in the stack at their respective elevations, a link 26 is provided which is disposed parallel to the tone arm and is pivotally connected at its ends to thebracket plate 23 and the sound box 24, as 5 shown in Figure 1.

The turntable II is adapted to support a plurality of records 21 disposed in superposed relation thereon in the form of a stack, the records being played in succession from the top to the bottom of the stack, and after a record is played it is discharged and positively directed or shifted laterally from the stack to a suitablechute or receptacle 23 provided for receiving it. ,Extend-' ing upwardly through the turntable and its hollow shaft l2 and engageable with the usual center openings of the several records of the stack, with the exception of the topmost one, is a vertically-adjustable spindle 23 which constitutes an adjustable guide and centering post for retaining the records on the turntable, and which is yieldingly suspended from a supporting collar 33, disposed axially of the turntable shaft, by coil springs 3| attached at their lower ends to a bearing member 32 applied to the lower' end of the adjustable spindle 23. These springs tend constantly to lift the spindle upwardly through the record stack.

The means for discharging a played record laterally from the stack into the receptacle 23 con- 3 sists of a horizontally-swinging record-shiiting or discharge arm or member 33 mounted on the upper end of an upright rock shaft 34 journaled in a. bearing sleeve 35 applied to the platform l3. At its outer or free end this arm is provided with an upright guide member 36 in which a vertically movable centering pin 31 is guided for alining abutting engagement at its lower end with the opposing upper end of the yieldably-suspended, record-engaging spindle 23; At its lower end this pinhas a teat or projection 33 which is'of a length substantially equal to that of the thickness of a record and whose resulting shoulder 33 bears against the top side of the exposed record of the stack, as shown this pin centers the uppermost record of the stack during play and maintains the played record in coupling engagement with the pin when its arm 33 is shifted laterally to discharge the played record. This pin 31 spindle 23 to jointly form therewith a sectional or divided record-engaging spindle and as the records are successively played and discharged this pin, through gravity, lowers the'spindle out of guiding engagement with the uppermost or in Figure 7, whereby 5 normally abuts the I exposed record and-brings its teat 38 into engagement with the latter. overhanging this laterally shiftable arm to move therewith is an elevating lever 48 pivoted at 4| to a bracket 42 carried discharged, to an elevation where it will clear the top record of the stack when the record-shifting arm is returned to its normal position. The means for so elevating the pin consists of a cam 44 applied to the bearing sleeve 35 and disposed in the path of movement of a roller 45 applied to an extension 46 of such arm. A yieldable latch bar 41 depending from the inner end of the arm 'onthisdiskisapivotedpawl is adapted to interlock with the arm-extension 48 the moment the arm is shifted bythev cam to its elevated position. This latch bar retains the arm in its elevated position during the return movement of the arm to its normal position and when it reaches that position the latch bar encounters a trip member 48 which releases the latch from the arm extension 45 and permits the arm to be lowered by gravity to bring its pin 81 into alining axial relation with the top record and the spindle 28.

The means for actuating the movements of the tone arm'li to and from the. record and outwardly from the end of its playing position to its initial playing position. are preferably constructed as follows:

Mounted on the turntable shaft I2 is a gear 48 which is adapted to be releasably clutched to a train of gears 58, 5|, 52 and 5,8, the latter constituting the driving member for actuating the movements of the tone arm and being mounted on an upr t shaft.54 supported from the platform II. The clutch may consist of a disk 55, towhich the gear 58 is attached and which is loosely mounted on the shaft l2, and mounted 58 having a tooth 51 adapted to interlock with one or another of the teeth of the gear 48, so that when the clutchpawl is engaged motion will be transmitted to the driven gear 58. A spring 58 tends to swing the pawl into its engaged position while a' trip lever 58 pivoted at 88 serves at a predetermined time to shift the pawl to its released position and maintain it in that position by a spring 8| act ing on the trip lever, as shgwn in Figure 8. A roller 88 carried by this trif lever is adapted to -engagearecess88inanannularfiange 84 ofthe 7 ultimate y gear 58 toarrestandholdthepartstobeactuated in their respective podtions of rest. mu'ing the record-changing operation, the gear 58 makes one complete revolution, and during that time theroller 88 bears against the gear flange 84 and maintains the trip lever- 58 in a position clear of the pawl 58.

Connected to the gear 58 to be actuated thereby is a reciprocating link or pitman 85 which is connected at its slotted free end loosely mounted on the lower end of the tone arm rock shaft |8and connected by a spring" 88 fixed on saidshaft, the spring allowing for a certain amount of lost motion duringthe movement of the pitman and causing a turning of the rock shaft in a'direction to swing the tone arm outwardly to its position for laying the next record. During this lost motion period the tone arm is elevated clear of the record and this is accomplished link or pitman 58 having a.

cam I8 thereon engageable'with a roller l| end of the discharge-arm rock bring its pin 81 into axial toanarm" the tone arm, and the supporting stitutes a limiting stop for setting the tone arm for playing engagement with a 1?" record.

mounted on a crank arm I2 applied to one end of a horizontal rock shaft 13 whose opposite end has an oppositely-extending arm 14 connected to the lower end of an upright link 15, the upper Also actuated by the driven gear 53 is the mechanism for controlling the movements of the record-discharging arm 83 to and from its discharge position. For this purpose a reciprocating link or pitman I8 is provided which is pivotally connected at its inner end to an arm 18 pivoted to the gear 53 and whose outer slotted end is connected to a crank arm 88 applied to the lower shaft 84. Thus, at a predetermined time the arm. will be shifted outwardly carrying the played record with it and 20 discharging into the receptacle 28, after which the arm will be returned to its initial position to alinement with the turntable and spindle 28. A stop 8| rising fromthe platform I8 serves to positively limit the inward swinging movement of the arm 83 to its proper radial position over the record stack. The tone arm l8, after the playing of a record, is adapted to automatically effect the release of the trip lever 58 from the clutch gage the clutch and establish a driving connection to the driven gear 58 to in turn actuate the reciprocating bar mechanisms for controlling the movements of with the clutch-pawl 55 and to allow the spring 58 to engage .the clutch. A spring 88 connected to the link 84 serves tonormally urge the rock lever in a direction to bring its upper arm against the trip pin82.

This phonograph is adapted to play records of different sizes, say either i0" or 12". records, and forthis purpose stop means are providedfor' the outward swinging movement of the a tone arm l8 and arresting it at the proper position for playing a 10" for playing the 10" record is preferably in the form of a horizontally-swinging lever 88 pivoted at 88 to a supporting post 8| and having a depending arm 82 which constitutes a limiting stop is adapted to abut against which the tone arm for properly presenting the tone arm in playing position with a 10" record. When this lever is swtmg to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, its stop arm 88 is displaced out of the path of I claim as my invention: '1. In apsautomatie' phonograph, a turntable adapted} support a stack ofrecords, a yieldingly-sus'pended spindle 'normally extendingthrough 'the record-openings and depressible be! low the top record of the stack for withdrawing it from engagement therewith, a. laterally-swinging. record-discharge membernormally overpawl 58 to en- 30 the tone arm and the recordk discharge arm. Projecting from the pivoted end 35 of the tone arm is a the clutch, this lever 4 or' 12''. record. The stop 55 post 8| con- 65 element engaging the opening of the top record.

in such position to couple such record therewith, means for actuating said discharge member at predetermined times in directions beyond the stack to discharge the record by gravity from its coupling element after play and to return said member over the stack in coupling engagement with the next record, said vertically movable element being normally moved downwardly by gravity,'means including an'operative connection to said element for raising the same, latch means for retaining said element in such elevated position after the discharge of a record and during the inward swing of the record-discharge member to its initial position, a tone arm, and means ,in-

itiated by the tone arm after the playing of a record for rendering said actuating means operative.

2. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable adapted to support a stack of records, a displaceable sectional spindle extending through the openings of the records to releasably retain them in operative position on the turntable, said spin- -dle including an uppersection and a lower turn-' table-engaging section, the latter having means acting thereon for yleldingly urging it upwardly through the several records of the stack, a laterally swinging record-discharge arm movable to positions axially over and at one side of the stack of records for coupling engagement with a record during playing and for-automatically removing a record therefrom after playing, the upper section of said spindle being guided for axial movement in said arm andadapted by gravity to extend into the opening of the top record for coupling engagement therewith and for axial abutting engagement with the companion lower spindle-section to depress it out of engagement with'the opening in the top record, means for actuating said arm beyond the stack to discharge a played record bygravity from the upper spindle-section and thereafter return said arm over the stack to its initial position to bring its spindlesection into axial alinement with the next record in the stack, cam means for controlling the axial shifting of said upper spindle-section to elevate it clear of the record-stack after discharging a played record beyond the stack, releasable latch means for retaining said upper spindle in its elevated position during the inward swing of the discharge arm to its initial position. over the stack, and means for releasing said latch means when such position is reached to eiiect the gravity-lowering of said upper spindle-section into coupling engagement with the next record.

3. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable adapted to support a stack or records, a tone arm,

a depressible, yieldingly-suspended spindle normally extending through the records of the stack, a laterally-swinging record-dischargearm having an axially-shiitable pin therein constituting a separable continuation of said spindle and adapted for engagement therewith to depress it by gravity from the top record and bring said pin into register with the axial opening of such top records, elevating means applied to the recorddischarge arm and operatively connected to the axially shirtable pin for controlling the raising and lowering movements of said pin at the ends with said elevating means at predetermined times during the outward and inward swinging movements of said arm for actuating such elevating means in a direction to raise and lower said pin, respectively.

4. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable adapted to support a stack of records, a tone arm, a depressible, yieldingly-suspended spindle normally extending through the records of the stack, a laterally-swinging record-discharge arm having an axially-shiitable pin therein constituting a separable continuation of said spindle and adapted for engagement therewith to depress it from the top record and bring said pin into reglater with the axial opening of such top record, a vertically-swinging lever applied to said arm and connected at one end to said pin for controlling its raising and lowering movements, and means disposed in the lateral path of travel of said lever and engageable with the other end of said lever for actuating the same during the laterallyswinging movements of the discharge arm to raise and lower said pin at predetermined times.

5. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable adapted to support a stack of records, a tone arm, a depressible, yieldingly-suspended spindle normally extending through the records of the stack, a laterally-swinging record-discharge arm having an axially-shiitable pin therein constituting a separable continuation of said spindle and adapted for engagement therewith to depress it from the top record and bring said pin into register with the axial opening of such top record,

a vertically-swinging lever applied to said arm discharge arm to raise and lower said pin at predetermined times, and means in the lateral path of and acting upon the other end of the vertically swinging lever for releasably latching said lever in its raised position to holdthe pin clear of the record-stack after the discharge'of the record 'be-' yond the stack and during the return of the discharge arm to its initial position over the stack.

6. In an automatic phonograph, a verticallyswinging tone arm, a turntable adapted .to support-a stack of records and having a hollow drive stem, a yieldingly-suspendedspindle extending upwardly through. said stem and through the record-openings and adapted to be depressed from engagement with the top record of the stack, a laterally-swinging record discharge arm disposed over the record-stack during playing of a record and having a vertically-movable pin guided thereon for movement into abutting engagement with saidspindle to depress it below the top record and bring said pin into axial coupling engagement with such record, means for moving said pin into and out of operative, recordcoupiing position, drive means for said turntablestem, actuating means for lowering and raising the tone arm to bring its needle into and out of engagement with a record, actuating means for swinging the tone arm to its initial play position after playing? a record, actuating means for swinging the discharge arm to and from its record-discharge position at one side of the recordstack, a clutch-controlled drive' means for the aforesaid actuating 'means, respectively, and a trip mechanism operatively connected to the drive means andgoverned by said tone arm ior'controlling said clutch-controlled drive means. 4

7. In an automatic phonograph, a tone. arm

pivoted to swing horizontally and vertically to and from a record-play position, a turntable adapted to support a stack of records, a motor,

including a shaft driven thereby for rotating the turntable, a spindle disposed axially of the turntable for vertical movement relative thereto and constituting an adjustable guide and centering post for retaining the records on the turntable, means for yieldingly urging said spindle upwardly with the opening of the records in the stack, a

horizontally-swinging, record-discharging member normally overhanging the record-stack and having a vertically movable centering pin at its free end for alining abutting engagement at its lower -end with the opposing upper end or said record-engaging spindle, said pin constituting-a continuation of the spindle and extending into the center opening of the uppermost 'record'of the stack and having a shoulder thereon bearing against such record, and means for actuating the tone arm to and from its play position and themotion between said driven member and the rec-- ord-discharging member for moving the latter to and from its'record-discharging position, a trip mechanism controlled by said tone arm for controlling'said clutch, a vertically-swinging arm carried by said record-discharging member and connected at one end to its record-engaging pin for actuating said pin vertically, can; means disposed for engagement with said arm to elevate it and said pin to a position clear of the records'tack upon discharging a played record, means for releasablyholding said arm in its elevated position during the return oi! the record-discharging member to its initial play-engaging position, and means for tripping said releasing means at a predetermined time to cause said pin to drop into alining abutting engagement with said v 8. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable adapted to support 'a stack or records, a depressible, yieldingly-suspended. spindle normally extending through the records of the stack, a laterally-swinsing, record-discharge arm having an axially-shiitable pin therein constituting a separable continuation of said spindle and adapted for engagement therewith to depress it from the top record and bring said pin into register with the axial opening of such top record, a verticallyswinging lever iulcrumed intermediate its ends to said arm and connected at one end to said pin for controlling its raising and lowering movements, said lever being normally urged by gravity to its pin-lowering position, means disposed in the lat-' eral path of travel of the other end of said lever for actuating the same about its fulcrum in a direction to raisethe pin at a predetermined time in the outward swing or the record-discharge arm, a latch engageable with said lever to retain it in its elevated podtion during the inward swing of said arm to its initial position, and means for releasably tripping said latch from engagement 2.

with said lever at a predetermined time in the inward swing of record-discharge arm.

JOHN R. m. 

